Elevator valve mechanism.



No. 350,619. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

R. c. BRQMLEY,

ELEVATOR VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY9.19Q6.

2 SHEETS-SEEET 1. 1-

fnveizfon 1n: NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, a c.

PATENTED APR 16, 1907.

R. O. BROMLEY.

ELEVATOR VALVE MECHANISM.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAY9. 190s. /z

Wiliwsses 66 CR/. Ghrd b.

n4: NORRIS, F'EERS ca, WASHINGTON, n. cy

@NITED ligrENT oFFroE.

ROBERT C. BROMLEY, OF BEN AVON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907;

Application filed May 9, 1906. Serial No. 315,888.

flcation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,forming part of the specification.

My invention refers to improvements in automatic controlling apparatusfor hydraulic elevators, having for its object to provide means for automatically arresting the upw ard or downward travel of the car at thedesired limit of its movement in either direction.

In carrying out the invention I employ mechanismmounted on a movingportion of the apparatus-as, for instance, the car or the counterweightso arranged with relation to the valve and its operating mechanism thatit will actuate'the controlling-valve to shut oflthe flow of fluidthereto or therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal verticalsection of portions of an elevator-shaft, showing a car in elevation andillustrating one application of my-improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail view,on an enlarged scale, of the mechanism for engaging the valve cord orcable. Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2,sho wing'the movableandstationary portions of the apparatus in operative relation :to eachother. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the swinging sheave-frame indicated byline IV IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail view onthelineV V of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view similarto Fig. 1, showing a modifiedarrangement whereby both thecar and counterweight are utilizedto closethe valve at the desired downward and upward limit of travel of the car.Fi 7 is a view similar to Fi .6 at right angles-t ereto. Figs. 8 and'9are etail views illustrating the construction employed for short cablesto be engaged only at or about the limit of travel of the elevator-car.

2 representsthe elevator-car of any suitable construction, mountedwithin the usual shaft upon a supporting-plunger 3, located in acylinder 4- or suitably suspended by the usual cable or in any othermanner. The operation of the elevator is controlled'by passage of fluidthrough the supply and exhaust connections 5 and 6, by which fluid underpressure is admitted to the cylinder or other actuating element to'raisethe elevator-car and through which on lowering of the elevatorcar thefluid may escape through the wastepipe, 1 respectively.

7 8 represent controlling-valves by which, through connections 9 and 10,pressure is admitted from the supply and from which exhaust isdischarged tothe waste.

I The specific construction or operation of the valve mechanlsm per seis not essential to the operation of the mvention, nor do I desire tobelimited to any specific form, inasmuch as the present invention doesnot relate to the valve mechanism itself but to the means by which thesupply or exhaust through any suitable valve mechanism is automaticallycontrolled at or about the desired limit of travel of the car.

In carrying out my invention I utilize a cable or cord or other similarflexible connection 11, attached at the top to a stationary support 12and depending vertically or substantially vertically within theelevatorshaft and connected with the valve-actuating mechanism or lever13, together with means mounted on a traveling portion of the apparatusso arranged as to engage said vertically-disposed connection 11 at orabout a predetermined point in such a manner as to exert an upward pullupon the valve-lever or to corres ondingly actuate the valvecontrollingmec ianism whereby the circulation of the fluid through the valve willbe checked, resulting in automatic stoppage of the car.

In the principal figures of thedrawings I employ a bearingsheave-wheel14, arranged with its grooved periphery in substantial alinement withthecable-l] and a swinging sheave-wheel 15, mounted in a swinging frameor arm 16, pivoted at 17, preferably upon thepivotal bearingof whee 14,with means for deflecting said frame and wheel 15 toengage the cable 11and to produce a kink or bend in it. Forthe purpose of tilting saidframe or arm 16 at the desired point I employ a bearing-roller 18,likewise mounted in an arm 19, forming a part of the tilting frame andso located that it will come into contactwith the inclined cam or switchbar 20. Said cam is so arranged with relation to the desired limit oftravel of the car that it will engage bearing-wheel 18 to effect thebending and .resulting shortening of cable 11 in the manner indicated indotted lines in or in any other suitable or convenient man ner, or thestructure may be otherwise mounted to secure the same results.

For the purpose of adjusting the position of sheave-wheel 15 withrelation. to cable 11 I employ a set-screw 25, mounted in lug 26,bearing underneath arm 16, as clearly shown, whereby the sheave-wheel 15may be accurately set so as to insure engagement with the cable with aminimum of lost motion.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the car to be descending, thebearing-wheel 18 will make contact with the inclined face of cam-bar 20,thereby shifting wheel 15 inwardly to engage the cable, sheave-wheel 14maintaining engagement therewith and holding the cable in normalvertical position above said wheel, thereby producing a kink or bend inthe cable, whereby the distance between the support 12 and point ofattachment with lever 13 is decreased, resulting in. the lifting of saidlever, closing of valve 8, shutting off the exhaust, and arresting thedownward travel of the car. Assuming the car to be ascending,bearing-wheel 18 will in like manner engage the inclined cam-bar 20inthe same manner and likewise actuate lever 13 of the supply-valve 7,thereby shutting off the supply and resulting in stoppage of the upwardtravel of the car.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the same mechanism attached, respectively,to the car 2 and the usual counterweight A. (Shown in dotted lines.) Inthis arrangement the cables 11 are preferably connected at the upper endof the elevator-shaft, as at 12 12, while the inclined cam-bars 20 20are both located at the lower portion of the shaft, as shown, and inposition for engagement by one or the-other of the downwardly-travelingrollers 18, which actuate sheavewheels 15, each set of wheels beingmounted upon. the elevator-car and counterweight, respectively. It willbe obvious that the downward limit of travel of the counterweight Acorresponds to the desired upward limit of travel of the ele vator-car2, and by this construction the actuating-cams are both located at thelower portion of the shaft. The construction, ar-

roller 18 with cam-bar 20*.

rangement, and mode of operation and the result and effect of the deviceotherwise is the same as above described.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a construction wherein I obviate thenecessity of employing cables for the full length of the elevator-shaft,utilizing comparatively short cables 11, connected a short distanceabove the engaging terminal of cam-bar 20 and secured in any suitablesupporting or holding device, as a lug 27. With this arrangement itbecomes necessary to somewhat separate the sheave-wheels 14 and 15, asshown in Fig. 8, to provide sufficient clearance for lug 27, as shown inFig. 9, whereby when said wheels have arrived in their downward travelat the location of said lug they will pass along it at each sidedownwardly and will be in position to engage the cable 11 immediatelyupon engagement of bearing t will be understood that wheels 14 and 15are so mounted upon the elevator-car or upon the counterweight and thatthe car and counterweight are suit ably maintained in unvaryingalinement as to insure engagement of said wheels with the cable at theproper time. In other words, it is not necessary to maintain engagementwith the cable during the full travel of the car or counterweight or tomake engagement therewith, except immediately before the desiredstoppage of the car either in its up or down travel, and suchconstruction thereby obviates the necessity and expense of cables forthe full length of the shaft. It will be understood that the cable 11 isin duplicate arrangement, as in Fig. 6, for utilization with the car andcounterweight or that but one of such short cables may be used withanother one of the full length of the shaft, as in Fig. 1, where it isdesirable to mount the operating-sheaves on the car only. stood thatdifferent mechanism may be employed to engage the cable, so as to effecta pull upon the valve-lever or actuating mechanism or equivalentstop-motion device, and that the construction may be otherwise changedor varied by the skilled mechanic in various features or details withoutdeparting from the invention but all such changes are to be consideredas within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a stop-motion device, a normallystraight vertically-pendent stationary element connected therewith, anda cam; of a normally stationary and a swinging sheave-wheel mounted onan elevator-car, and an arm adapted to actuate the sheave-wheel providedwith a bearing portion arranged to engage the cam, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with a stop-motion device, a normally straightvertically-pend- It will be further under- TIO ent stationary elementconnected therewith, and an adjustable cam-bar; of a normally stationaryand a swinging sheave wheel mounted on an elevator-car, and an armadapted to actuate the sheave-wheel provided with-a bearing portionarranged to engage the cam, substantially as set forth.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a motor and a valve controllingthe circulation of the operating fluid thereof; of an elevatorcar, anormally straight vertically-pendent stationary element connected withthe lever of said valve, a cam, a normally stationary sheave-wheelmounted on the car, and a swinging frame also mounted on the car provided with a swinging wheel and an arm hav ing a terminal arranged toengage the cam at the desired limit of travel to deflect the swingingsheave-wheel, substantially as set forth.

L In an elevator, the combination with a motor and separate supply andexhaust valves controlling the circulation of fluid to and from saidmotor; of an elevator-car, normally straight vertically-pendentstationary cables depending from the top of the elevatorwell andconnected with the levers of the supply and exhaust valves respectively,a cam-bar located at the top and bottom of the well respectively, andseparate actuating mechanisms for operating one or the other of saidcables to operate either the supply or exhaust valve consisting of arelatively stationary sheave-wheel and a swinging frame carrying asheave-wheel and an arm having a terminal arranged to engage itsappropriate cam, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elevator, the combination with a I stop-motion device and anormally straight vertically-pendent stationary cable connectedtherewith, of a stationary sheavewheel,

and a swinging sheave-wheel arranged to co operate therewith and engagethe cable, and means for actuating the swinging sheavewheel,substantially as set forth.

6. In an elevator, the combination with a stop-motion device and anormally straight vertically-pendent stationary cable connectedtherewith, of a vertically-traveling sheavewheel, a swinging frameprovided with a sheave-wheel adapted to engage the cable, said framehaving a bearing device, and a relatively stationary element adapted toengagi said bearing device, substantially as set ort 7. In an elevator,the combination with a stop-motion device and a vertically-pendentstationary cable connected therewith, ofa vertically-travelingsheave-wheel, a swinging frame provided with a sheave-Wheel adapted toengage the cable, said frame having a bearing device, and a relativelystationary inclined cam adapted to engage said bearing device,substantially as set forth.

8. In an elevator, the combination with a stop-motion device, of avertically-pendent stationary cable connected therewith, avertically-traveling sheave-wheel mounted on the elevator-car, aswinging frame mounted on the journal of said wheel and provided with asheave-wheel arranged to engage the cable and swing with relation tosaid firstnamed sheave-wheel, said frame having a terminalbearing-roller, and a relatively stationary inclined cam arranged toengage said bearingroller to actuate the device, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT C. BROMLEY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. LEPLEY, C. M. CLARKE.

